NameCensus.

UK surname

Lind

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a linden tree or in a place abundant with lindens.

In the 1881 census there were 514 people recorded with the Lind surname, ranking it #6,635 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 672, ranked #7,966, down from #6,635 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanark, London parishes and West Calder. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include New Cumnock, Westminster and Adur.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lind is 673 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.7%.

1881 census count

514

Ranked #6,635

Modern count

672

2016, ranked #7,966

Peak year

2014

673 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lind had 514 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,635 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 672 in 2016, ranked #7,966.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 549 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Lind surname distribution map

The map shows where the Lind surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Lind surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lind over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 370 #6,426
1861 historical 450 #5,752
1881 historical 514 #6,635
1891 historical 502 #7,408
1901 historical 549 #7,541
1911 historical 266 #12,395
1997 modern 575 #8,388
1998 modern 608 #8,310
1999 modern 596 #8,475
2000 modern 621 #8,225
2001 modern 616 #8,128
2002 modern 618 #8,282
2003 modern 597 #8,368
2004 modern 575 #8,584
2005 modern 586 #8,414
2006 modern 591 #8,380
2007 modern 598 #8,375
2008 modern 603 #8,382
2009 modern 630 #8,271
2010 modern 646 #8,285
2011 modern 633 #8,333
2012 modern 628 #8,297
2013 modern 655 #8,163
2014 modern 673 #8,033
2015 modern 662 #8,077
2016 modern 672 #7,966

Geography

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Where Linds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanark, London parishes, West Calder, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to New Cumnock, Westminster, Adur and Upper Nithsdale. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanark Lanark
2 London parishes London 3
3 West Calder Edinburgh
4 Govan Combination Lanark
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 New Cumnock East Ayrshire
2 Westminster 011 Westminster
3 Adur 007 Adur
4 Upper Nithsdale Dumfries and Galloway
5 Westminster 013 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lind

These lists show first names that appear often with the Lind surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lind

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lind, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Lind surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Lind household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Lind is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Lind is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Lind falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Lind is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Lind, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Lind

The surname Lind has its origins in Sweden and Denmark, where it first emerged as an occupational name for someone who worked with linden or lime trees. The name is derived from the Old Swedish and Old Danish word 'lind', meaning lime tree.

In Sweden, the name can be traced back to the 14th century. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is found in the Landskapshandlingar records from Västergötland, Sweden, dated to 1371, which mentions a person named Laurencius Lind.

The name Lind was also present in Denmark during the medieval period. One notable historical reference is the Danish census records from the island of Falster in 1510, which lists several individuals with the surname Lind.

During the 16th century, the name spread to other parts of Scandinavia and Northern Europe, including Norway and Finland. In Finland, the name is sometimes spelled as Lind or Linna, with the latter being a variant derived from the Finnish word for 'castle' or 'fortress'.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Lind was Carl von Lind (1838-1923), a Swedish-born American artist and illustrator. Another notable figure was Jenny Lind (1820-1887), the famous Swedish operatic soprano known as the "Swedish Nightingale".

Other historical figures with the surname Lind include James Lind (1716-1794), a Scottish physician who conducted pioneering research on scurvy and is considered the founder of nautical medicine. Johan Lind (1737-1781) was a Swedish botanist and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Arctic regions.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lind is found in the 1790 census records from Pennsylvania, which lists a family with the surname Lind.

The surname Lind has also been associated with various place names throughout Scandinavia, such as Lindby (linden village) and Lindholm (linden island), further reinforcing its connection to the lime tree.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lind families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lind surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Midlothian leads with 93 Linds recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.01x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 93 14.01x
Lanarkshire 76 4.74x
Middlesex 42 0.85x
Sussex 42 5.03x
Aberdeenshire 38 8.28x
Lancashire 25 0.43x
Ayrshire 19 5.12x
Surrey 18 0.75x
West Lothian 16 21.44x
Durham 13 0.88x
Kent 13 0.77x
Dumfriesshire 12 10.96x
Yorkshire 12 0.24x
Devon 10 0.97x
Inverness-shire 9 6.08x
Peeblesshire 7 30.03x
Renfrewshire 7 1.82x
Wiltshire 7 1.60x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.75x
Stirlingshire 5 2.74x
Westmorland 5 4.59x
Dorset 4 1.23x
Angus 3 0.65x
Cumberland 3 0.70x
Kincardineshire 3 4.97x
Gloucestershire 2 0.21x
Hampshire 2 0.20x
Lincolnshire 2 0.25x
Northumberland 2 0.27x
Oxfordshire 2 0.65x
Anglesey 1 1.14x
Bedfordshire 1 0.39x
Channel Islands 1 0.68x
Cornwall 1 0.18x
East Lothian 1 1.52x
Glamorgan 1 0.12x
Leicestershire 1 0.18x
Morayshire 1 1.30x
Perthshire 1 0.45x
Royal Navy 1 1.69x
Somerset 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Calder in Midlothian leads with 35 Linds recorded in 1881 and an index of 267.58x.

Place Total Index
West Calder 35 267.58x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 26 9.74x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 23 26.79x
Govan 19 4.79x
New Shoreham 18 359.28x
Carnwath 14 141.27x
South Leith 13 17.40x
Uphall 13 158.34x
Barony 12 2.96x
Croydon 10 7.46x
Glasgow 10 3.51x
New Cumnock 10 155.52x
Toxteth Park 10 5.02x
Bideford 9 81.45x
Kilmonivaig 9 273.56x
Penpont 9 447.76x
Hove 8 21.82x
Tarves 8 184.33x
Willington 8 93.90x
Deptford St Paul 7 5.37x
Kilmaurs 7 110.94x
Kirkdale 6 6.07x
Liverpool 6 1.68x
Manor 6 1276.60x
Nuthurst 6 434.78x
St George In East London 6 12.87x
St Pancras London 6 1.50x
Swindon 6 17.65x
Whitechapel London 6 12.29x
Brighton 5 2.97x
Falkirk 5 11.69x
Hunderthwaite 5 1041.67x
Islington London 5 1.04x
Kendal 5 25.08x
Lambeth 5 1.16x
Lanark 5 38.79x
Portslade 5 97.85x
Selston 5 67.02x
Shettleston 5 34.84x
Shotts 5 26.07x
Edinburgh St Marys 4 31.01x
Kilbarchan 4 34.31x
Poole St James 4 32.73x
Crosscanonby 3 21.26x
Currie 3 73.89x
Hackney London 3 1.08x
Houston Killallan 3 80.65x
Kirkpatrick Fleming 3 120.00x
Lewisham 3 3.33x
Mid Calder 3 104.17x
New Monkland 3 6.33x
Plumstead 3 5.32x
St Giles In Fields London 3 12.34x
Strichen 3 75.19x
Whitburn 3 27.83x
Balne 2 327.87x
Bethnal Green London 2 0.93x
Bishopwearmouth 2 1.58x
Corstorphine 2 54.64x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 2 12.74x
Edinburgh St Stephens 2 15.30x
Enfield 2 6.15x
Hampstead London 2 2.59x
Henley On Thames 2 31.90x
Liff Benvie 2 2.87x
Paddington London 2 1.10x
Poplar London 2 2.14x
Portsea 2 1.00x
Rotherhithe 2 3.27x
St Cyrus 2 79.37x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 1.04x
Belford 1 63.69x
Carmichael 1 75.19x
Elgin 1 6.68x
Fortingall 1 35.21x
Holbeck 1 3.07x
Leeds 1 0.36x
Leicester St Margaret 1 0.75x
Middlesbrough 1 1.56x
South Shields 1 7.62x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Lind surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Lind surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 14
Charles 10
James 10
John 9
George 7
Henry 5
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Robert 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
David 2
Edward 2
Geo. 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Andreas 1
Andrew 1
Archal 1
Douglas 1
Frederic 1
Fredrik 1
Hans 1
Horatio 1
Hugh 1
Jakob 1
Johann 1
Joseph 1
Joshua 1
Monstyn 1
Oscar 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Seth 1
Susannah 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Lind surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lind surname in 1881?

In 1881, 514 people were recorded with the Lind surname. That placed it at #6,635 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lind surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 672 in 2016. That gives Lind a modern rank of #7,966.

What does the Lind surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a linden tree or in a place abundant with lindens.

What does the Lind map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Lind bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.